Golf harness



Jan. 15, 1929.

C. H. BEMISH ET AL GOLF HARNESS Filed Nov. 20, 1925 ammo HBemZlSZ/ WZzZZer (I 5677211570 Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. BmusH AND WALTER .1. mmxsn, or nocnnsrnn, NEW YORK.

some HARNESS.

Application filed November 20, 1925. *jscn'ar No. 70,237.

Our present invention relates to the game of golf and more particularly to devices for aiding beginners in learning the game and acquiring correct form and it has for its object to provide an apparatus that is worn by or attached to the body of the player and which will so restrict and guide the: movement of his arm that he will be led into hitting the ball with a. correct swing and a proper body movement. To these and other ends the invention resides in certain 'improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a golf player wearing an apparatus constructed in accord ance with and illustrating one embodiment of our invention, the figure being shown at the commencement of the swing;

Figure 2 is a similar view with the figure in the position of hitting the ball;

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the figure in the act of completing the swing;

Figure 4 is a top view of the apparatus, enlarged, in the position that it occupies on the players body;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the belt that is used with the apparatus and Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 77 of Figure 6.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

In learning the game of golf, it is difiicult for the pupil to avoid a tendency to use his arms too much and his body too little. In driving particularly at the start of the swing he is apt to raise his arms and elbows too high and attempt to drive the ball with the force of his arms whereas, the proper form is to pivot on the body keeping the arms low and the elbows down and get into the stroke the weight of the body pivoting on a vertical axis that is substantially coincident with the spinal column. In the practice of our present invention we provide a device that limits the movement of the arms as to the height to which they may be raised in making the swing while at the same time permitting a free movement of the arms relatively to the body when the arms are down.

Referring more particularly to the drawsings, 1 indicates a belt having a buckle 2 and which is fitted about the body in an in termediate position that is above the waist and stomach but below the chest and arm pits. Riveted to this belt at 3 are a pair of straps 4 which extend from a point at the back beneath the shoulder blades to the front beneath the breasts. Slidable on these straps are a pair of traveller rings 5 shown in detail in Figure 5. These are connected by adjustable straps 6 with arm bands or straps 7 that encircle the arms about midway above the elbow and below the shoulder as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

With the apparatus in place on the body, when the pupil raises his arms to start the swing as in Figure 1, he is prevented from raising his elbows too high because of the arm band strap and traveller ring connections 7, 6 and 5 with the strap 4 on the belt 1. Yet as the swing progresses to the position of Figure 2, the traveller rin 5 moves freely on the guiding straps 4 an does not interfere with the free movement of the arms at the point or in the region of the point at which the ball is actually struck. Beyond the point of impact this freedom of movement is continued until the end of the stroke is reached, as in Figure 3, at which point the arm bands and their belt connection again prevent the arms and elbows from being raised too high at the completion of the stroke. The result is that the pupil istaught to rely upon his body motion and not to try to derive all of his ower and drive from his arms alone. bolt 8 fastened by a thumb nut 9 and adapted to be inserted in any one of a plurality of aligned apertures 10 in the belt 1 and each traveller strap 4 is used to limit the movement of the traveller ring 5 and hence, the rearward limit of the arm swing.

A device of this character may be manufactured at low cost and readily applied to the body for practice purposes whether with 01- without the aid of an instructor.

We claim as our invention.

1. In a harness for the use of golf pupils, the combination with a belt adapted to encircle the body and having guides thereon, whose effective lengths are adjustable, of arm bands mounted on said guides and adapted to limit the lateral and upward movement of the pupils arms. i

2. In a harness for the use of golf pupils, the combination with a. belt adapted to encircle the body and having an adjustable ring connecting each arm band with a guide 1 strap to limit the upward movement of the arms While permitting a free swing of the latter across the body, the guide straps and "belt being provided with an adjustable de vice limiting the movement of each traveller ring thereon.

CHARLES H. BEMISI-l. WALTER J. BEMISH. 

